Paris and Saudi Arabia sign deal for three theme parks near the capital

France and Saudi Arabia signed a letter on 24 August regarding a six-billion-euro investment to build three theme parks near Cergy-Pontoise, about 30 kilometres northwest of Paris. President Emmanuel Macron's office described the project as "unprecedented" and "colossal."

The announcement came during a two-day visit to France by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Macron wrote on X that the project would create 22,000 jobs, a scale unseen since Disneyland Paris, thanking Saudi Arabia and Qiddiya, a subsidiary of the kingdom's Public Investment Fund, for their confidence in France.

According to a Macron adviser, the idea originated from a conversation between the president and the crown prince in Riyadh in December 2024, where the two discovered a shared passion for the anime series Dragon Ball Z. The first of the three parks is expected to be dedicated to the Japanese franchise, though this has not been officially confirmed. Themes for the other two parks have not been disclosed. The parks will be built and opened in stages over several years, with no opening date specified.

Asked about partnering with Riyadh despite criticism of its human rights record, the presidency avoided a direct answer, saying France does not seek to "lecture" partners when attracting investment.

Two other agreements with French companies were signed during the visit: shipping firm CMA CGM will help develop the port of Jeddah on the Red Sea in a deal worth 434 million dollars, while rail group Alstom will supply metro trains for Riyadh worth 580 million dollars.

The crown prince's visit has sparked sharp criticism in France. Three journalists' unions protested his reception, citing a French investigation into allegations of torture linked to the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. US intelligence concluded bin Salman was directly involved, and a UN investigation described the killing as an "extrajudicial killing" for which Saudi Arabia is responsible.

Macron highlighted the "Choose France" programme, which he said has attracted more than 230 projects worth roughly 87 billion euros since 2018. According to consultancy EY, France has attracted the most foreign investment in Europe for seven consecutive years, though the number of projects fell 17% last year.